Figure 1.--This 1949 wire service photograph shows an American boy making friends with two British boys. At the time there were still real differences between how American and British boys, including Welsh boys dressed. Notice the American boy's winter cap and the Welsh boy's school cap. Also noticed the appern on the one boy's turn-over-top socks. The press caption read, "Exchange revereds: Eight-year-old George Dillard finds a camera very handy in making friends with young Welsh boys. To the children of both the Danbury and Manselton clergymen, the exchange is proving to be an exciting adventure while their parents are gainng a greater human understanding by sending a year in different social, economic and cultural environments." The photgraph was dated February 23, 1949.
We ae not sure about clothing trends in Wales during the ancient times. The clothing was probably similar to the rest of Celtic Britain, perhaps influenced by the Roman conquest. We know nothing about the early-medieval era. The Normans after Hastings began the cinquest of Wale. It was Edward I known as Longshanks who completed the conquest (1277-83). Edward defeated and annexed the Principality of Wales and the other remaining independent Welsh principalities. As far as we can tell clothing and fashion chronological treds since the conquest were essentially the same, alhough our information on the medieval era are limited. Edward is of course the same English monarch who set out to conquer Scotland, albeit with less success. Wales was a relatively poor area of Britain, thus there might have been a higher proportion of working class population and thus less affluence which ffected clothing and fashion. The styles were, however, essentially the same. That was certainly what we have been able to observe in the 19th and 20th century photographic record. Unlike Scotland which was never subdued by the English, we have been able to ind no evidene of national dress worn by Welsh boys. It is impssivle to identify Welsh photographs unless they are identified or in some cases some Welsh landmark in the backfround. We have not yet found any art work from the early 19th century, but we hace a few photographs from the late-19th centurty. We mostlt see Welsh boys like Engklish bots earing long pants suyuts, but by the 1870s we see at first younger boys wearing suits with shortened-length pants--both staight-leg knee pants abd knickers. These shortened-length pahts had becone standard by the 1890s.
The photographic record is much more extensiuve for the 20th century. Much of it is family snapshots which of course does not have studio names and locatioins like 19th century studio portaits. Thus we can only identify the Welsh photograohs if there is identiufying writing on the back. We see many boys wearing knee pants with long stockings at the beginning of the 20th century, After World War I, short pants and knee socks became stabndard. Sweaters were akso wideky worn. Thdse styles continued to be standard for boys through the 1950s. This began to change in the 1960s as more casual styles became popuilar. And moire boys began wearing long pants, including American jeans. And we continue to see the same styles wirnb in Wakes as in England.
Historical Times
We ae not sure about clothing trends in Wales during the ancient times. The clothing was probably similar to the rest of Celtic Britain, perhaps influenced by the Roman conquest. We know nothing about the early-medieval era. The Normans after Hastings began the cinquest of Wale. It was Edward I known as Longshanks who completed the conquest (1277-83). Edward defeated and annexed the Principality of Wales and the other remaining independent Welsh principalities. As far as we can tell clothing and fashion chronological treds since the conquest were essentially the same, alhough our information on the medieval era are limited. Edward is of course the same English monarch who set out to conquer Scotland, albeit with less success.
Wales was a relatively poor area of Britain, thus there might have been a higher proportion of working class population and thus less affluence which ffected clothing and fashion. The styles were, however, essentially the same. That was certainly what we have been able to observe in the 19th century. Unlike Scotland which was never subdued by the English, we have been able to find no evidene of national dress worn by Welsh boys. Many women in village areas wore folk outfits. This was common in the early-19th century, but gradually declined. Presumably girls did as well, but not the boys. It is impossible to identify Welsh photographs unless they are identified or in some cases some Welsh landmark in the background. We have not yet found any art work from the early 19th century. Photography was invented (1839). We do not, however, have photographs from mid-century. The early photographic record is more limited in Europe than America. And we do not yet have any at all from Wales. Only when the apprearance of the CDV have we been abkle to find Welsh inages (1860s). We have a few photographs from the late-19th centurty. We mostly see Welsh boys like English bots earing long pants suyuts, but by the 1870s we see at first younger boys wearing suits with shortened-length pants--both staight-leg knee pants abd knickers. These shortened-length pants had becone standard by the 1890s.
The 20th Century
The photographic record is much more extensiuve for the 20th century. Much of it is family snapshots which of course does not have studio names and locatioins like 19th century studio portaits. Thus we can only identify the Welsh photograohs if there is identiufying writing on the back. We see many boys wearing knee pants with long stockings at the beginning of the 20th century, After World War I, short pants and knee socks became stabndard. Sweaters were akso wideky worn. Thdse styles continued to be standard for boys through the 1950s. This began to change in the 1960s as more casual styles became popuilar. And more boys began wearing long pants, including American jeans. And we continue to see the same styles worn in Wales as in England. The photograoph here is a good excample of the difference between American and English/Welsh boys clothing at mid-century (figure 1). Americam clothing had become more casual. The same trend was at play in Britain, but nt as rapidly as in America.
